GROTH Reserve Oakville Cabernet (2021)

95 - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate - A selection of the best lots from the winery’s Oakville estate, aged in 100% new oak, Groth’s 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve is a great wine at a realistic—for Napa Valley—price. Textbook notes of cedar and vanilla gently cosset black cherries and hints of dried herbs. It’s full-bodied, creamy and lush in texture, showing more concentration, tannin and length than the winery’s regular Oakville Cabernet.

95 - Wine Spectator - Ripe and with a bit of flash thanks to its glossy toast, this red delivers a violet-accented core of cassis and plum reduction, with black licorice, sweet tobacco and singed alder notes. Solid and steady through the lengthy, polished finish, with a hint of flinty minerality lurking in the background. Drink now through 2040.

94+ - Jeb Dunnuck -  A much smaller production release, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve checks in as 98% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Merlot that was brought up all in new barrels. Its dense purple hue is followed by a ripe, concentrated, medium to full-bodied wine with lots of blackcurrant and plum fruit, some smoky herb, graphite, and chocolate notes, ripe, focusing tannins, and good mid-palate depth. As with many 2021s, the cellar will be your friend. Give bottles 2-4 years and enjoy over the following two decades.

This wine presents a compelling bouquet of deep red and black fruits, with prominent aromas of fresh blackberry, rich dark cassis, and black currant. Fine herbs, ancho chili, allspice, sesame, and hints of menthol add an intriguing complexity. On the palate, sun-ripened wild blackberry leads to indulgent notes of chocolate-covered black cherry and notes of tobacco leaf. A hint of gingerbread introduces a delightful spiciness, harmonizing with soft yet powerful tannins. The finish is lingering and extended, leaving a lasting impression of elegance and depth.

-Director of Winegrowing Ted Henry